This is a kind of anti war song, as the words are about fighting back with strikes, etc, so the soldier spoken of, is more about organised labour, in spite of the line about should a gun I ever shoulder... SO, without further adu...

SHOULD I EVER BE A SOLDIER
By Fellow Worker, JOE HILL
To the tune: Colleen Bawn

We re spending billions every year
For guns and ammunition,
Our Army and Our Navy dear (Joe put the our part in quotes- he did not have to know HTML to do it...!)
To keep in good condition
While millions live in misery
And millions die before us,
Dont sing My Country, tis of thee
But sing this little chorus:

Should I ever be a soldier
Neath the Red Flag I would fight
Should the gun I ever shoulder
its to crush the tyrants might
Join the army of the toilers
Men and women fall in line
Wage slaves all aroung the world, arouse
Do your duty fro the cause
for land and liberty

And many a maiden pure and fair
her love and pride must offer
on Mammons alter of despair
to fill a masters coffer
The gold that pays the might fleet
from tender youth he squeezes
while brawney men must walk the street
and face the wintery breezes

Should I ever be a sholdier etc

Why do they mount their gatling gun
a thousand miles from ocean
where hostile fleet could never run
aint that a funny notion?
if you dont know the reason why
just strike for better wages and then, my friends - if you dont die-
youll sing this song for ages

Yours, Fellow workers,
(And keep making some noise so we know you are alive!
In the One Big Union
Larry Otway